


White Knight

by SilversEdge



Series: Trials of the Dragon Witch [2]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Dragon Witch - Freeform, Language, M/M, Magic Powers, Manipulation, Sanders Sides - Freeform, Shadows - Freeform, Yelling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-10
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-07-10 16:37:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 17,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15953300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilversEdge/pseuds/SilversEdge
Summary: Sequel to Holding out for a Hero. When trying to train Virgil’s new powers, interesting things are found out. Will Roman be up for the trials and tests, or will Virgil belong to the shadows forever?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the Sequel that I'm sure people have been waiting for! If you think of any other tags I need, please tell me!

“Come on Virgil, you need to practice. Now that it’s been awaken, you need to control your shadow powers before it controls you.”

Breathing hard as he looked up from his kneeling position on the ground, Virgil just glared at the royal trait. He was tired, sore, and pissed. His clothing had small tears in them that weren’t there before and there was a shadow aura surrounding him. He was glad that he had elected to leave off his hoodie for this. Smacking the hand away that was held out for him, he growled as he stood up, wobbling just a bit as he brushed the back of his hand across his face, wiping the small stream of blood from the corner of his lip.

“This fucking sucks Roman. We’ve been at this for what feels like days and I haven’t managed to land a single hit on you. I’m not getting any better, all you’re doing is kicking my ass. You’re not teaching me, all this feels like is an excuse to beat me black and blue.”

Blinking as he took in what was said, Roman backed up a bit and waved, a chair appearing behind him so he could sit down and think. He looked over his companion, his newly made shield-brother and sighed before pinching his nose. There was no one else that Roman would rather watch his back while fighting, to protect each other during thick and thin, but at this rate, it was going to be a rocky road all around. All he could do was nod before he waved, a chair appearing behind Virgil, for him to sit as they figured this out.

“You’re right. This was the way I was taught to control my creativity and how I was taught to fight. But you are different than me, your power is different. So, we need a different approach, something more conducive to your style. Why don’t we head home for now and start fresh tomorrow? With how tired we both are, no progress will be made today.”

Getting up, he walked over to Virgil and held out his hand again, a small smile on his face. It took a lot to admit that the other was right, but he felt like they were growing as friends, growing as people in the process. 

“Tomorrow sounds good.”

As soon as their hands touched, they were transported back to Roman’s room, a feeling of exhaustion overcoming them both from the energy spent that day.

“Get something to eat and sleep well Virgil. Despite what you think, you did good job today.”

Pulling his hand back, he scratched the back of his head before looking off to the side and shrugging. He was still working on the being friendly part with Roman when no one was around. It was still awkward for him, still so much easier to resort back to old habits, but he was trying.

“Yea, thanks. I’m gonna go. You follow your own advice too.”

With that said, Virgil headed to the kitchen, taking the plate that Patton had left for him before heading back to his room. All he could think of was how this started. He had thought that once he left Roman’s realm; that those powers would vanish, that it was just something caused by his room. In a way, yes it was, but they hadn’t vanished. Looking back, he let himself sink into the memory.   
He had been resting in the living room, a headache pounding behind his eyelids. Three days with essentially no sleep, constantly stressed and harassed by a creature of Roman’s creation. That was not how Virgil wanted to spend his time. Groaning at the light, he turned his head as he heard Logan get up from the couch. It had been a day at that point since he had returned, and having Patton trying to take care of him was getting on his nerves, as much as he thought the guy as a father, he was starting to get on his nerves. 

“Turn the lights out when you leave Logan, I’ve got a migraine.”

It wasn’t much longer until the lights turned off, yielding another sigh as he was finally able to relax. What he hadn’t seen was that Logan didn’t turn off the lights, that he was already out of the room when Virgil had asked, and that Roman had just stood there in surprise as a shadow had slid its way across the ground and up the wall and had flipped the switch itself. 

“Virgil… when you’re feeling better, come to my room, I need your help with something.”

“Yea sure, whatever you want Princey….”

Once back in his room, he shook the memory from his mind and placed the plate down on the desk. He needed to change before he ate, he needed to feel clean again. Taking a step away, he suddenly collapsed, a pain shooting behind his eyes and through his temples. Curling up on the ground with a whimper, his shadows covered him as if they were a blanket before he passed out. He knew he should have tried to call for Roman, but all thought was wiped out with the sudden pain and the blessed darkness of sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Groaning as he woke up, Virgil couldn’t help but sigh. His head was feeling better, the pain had vanished with the rise of the sun. He could only wonder if that pain the night before was because of exhaustion and using a skill that had never been used before. He knew magic uses energy, he had seen it enough with Roman. That’s what that was, just a simple over exhaustion. Forcing himself to get up, though it was awkward, he managed to stumble his way to his bathroom, turning on the light easy enough. The sudden light brought his reflection into focus and he sighed at what he saw. He looked pale and the bags under his eyes today didn’t require makeup to make them look dark. Still, following his routine was enough to put him in a better frame of mind before heading out, grabbing the plate of food in the process. He was starving, and the food was items that shouldn’t have spoiled by being left out overnight. Out in the commons room, he sat next to Patton who was watching something on the television, but he couldn’t be bothered to check. He was too busy focusing on the food and trying to think about what could be on the agenda for today with Roman. 

“Hey Kiddo, you’re looking a bit tired. Did you not sleep well?”

“I’m fine, just tired from working with Roman. We’re gonna do something different today though that should hopefully take less energy. He’s supposed to be the magical one, I’m just supposed to have the Demon voice.

“Good, you have to remember to take breaks and not exhaust yourself. I have faith in you two. And you don’t have a demon voice, it just shows we need to be paying attention to you because something is wrong.”

Virgil just nodded and finished eating his food before moving to put the plate back in the kitchen and into the dish washer. Once done, he took a breath and headed to Roman’s room. He knew they had to talk, and he hoped this talk would go better than the last one they had. He could only remember how the conversation that led to all this had went, and he hoped it wouldn’t be a repeat of that disaster.

_Virgil made it to Roman’s room, having the door open as soon as he knocked. Hesitantly walking in, he saw Roman facing away from him, arms behind his back as he was looking over some of his posters. Moving to sit in a chair, he tapped the arm with this fingertips, nerves showing. He didn’t know what Roman wanted to talk about, they should all know by now not to tell someone with anxiety that they needed to talk… especially the person that embodied that trait itself. Ok, perhaps that wasn’t exactly how Roman worded it yesterday, but that’s how he took it._

_“So, what’s up Princey?”_

_Roman sighed a bit and turned around, nodding to Virgil before moving to sit across from him. Reaching out to take that drumming hand in his own, he held it as he looked upon it, moving it this way and that, observing._

_“Roman? What are you doing to my hand? And what did you want to see me about?”_

_“I was doing something I should have done when I first brought you back. I’m trying to see if they’re any of the Dragon Witch’s influence left clinging to you. Virgil, she said that you had powers awakened that she would train if I failed… we do need to train your powers, they need to be under your control before they hurt you or someone you care for.”_

_“Roman, I don’t have powers, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Whatever was going on in your realm isn’t happening here. As long as I stay out of the fantasy part, it’ll be fine.”_

_Virgil tried to withdraw his hand but couldn’t, Roman had laced their fingers together and wasn’t letting go. Looking up at him, he frowned, pulling harder._

_“Roman, let go of me.”_

_“Virgil, you do have powers, I saw you use them last night to turn the lights off. That wasn’t Logan, Logan was already out of the room. You need to listen to me with this, I don’t want you hurt.”_

_With a harsh pull, he tugged his hand out of Romans and stood up and crossed over to the door. Trying to turn the knob, he glared back at the creative side, near growling._

_“Open the door Roman. I’m not playing this game with you. I don’t have powers, that’s you. I have the distorted voice. Just face it, we’re not as alike as you want to think we are.”_

_Just shaking his head, he held up his hands. He could see that Virgil was getting angry, that he was in denial. He didn’t know if he could feel that something was different or not. Holding out a hand towards him, he was trying to bridge the gap between them, showing the effort that he was putting into this. He wouldn’t let Virgil be afraid of this, he had a friend to help him, to protect him._

_“Virgil, they say Anxiety is the handmaiden to Creativity. We help each other, we make each other better. It’s not a stretch to think that you could show some things similar to what I do. We walk a very thin line to make things good. Let me help you Virgil.”_

_Just shaking his head as he tried to open the door, Virgil could feel the panic building up in his chest, feel how frantic he was getting. He needed to get out. He wasn’t claustrophobic, but for some reason he felt like something was holding onto him, wouldn’t let him go. It felt like something was watching him, waiting. He needed to get out, to flee to his room, to the safety in the darkness._

_“Virgil, please, let me help you.”_

_“Shut up, shut up, **shut up”**_

_The last phrase with the distorted voice was accompanied by a hand thrown out, trying to stop Roman from saying any more. He recognized he was panicking and he needed to calm down. Hearing an odd noise behind him, he turned around slowly, afraid of what he was going to find. And what he did find scared him. Behind him stood Roman, eyes wide in shock as a black gag had formed over his mouth, keeping his quiet. A look of horror passed along Virgil’s face at what he had done, at what it implied. Lips moving but nothing coming out, he turned and forced the door open and ran, ran for his room. In running, he didn’t’ see Roman easily reaching up to remove the black smoke that had covered his mouth, a look of worry over his face._

Shaking the memory from his mind, he opened the door, blinking in surprise to see two chairs in a green field, different than the one they had before. Here, there was a lake that had a fish jumping every so often, and in between the chairs sat a tea set with two cups.

“Come on in Virgil, let’s figure out a way to train you. My way doesn’t work, so let’s find a new.”

Nodding, he moved to sit, reaching for one of the cups to sip. It was good tea and it helped calm him down. He still did have some bruises from their other battle, but he knew that they could figure this out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a short chapter, but a good one. the rest of them should be longer. I hope you enjoy!

A woodlark was singing softly in the glen as the two men sat on the ground. Both of them were sitting close together, hands clasped as their breathing was deep and near matching. Around Roman it was possible to see a light aura of red and gold, rippling like flames around him. Around Virgil was a similar power field, only in purples and blacks, but it wasn’t nearly as strong, barely touching his skin in some areas. Though it others, it stuck out like a sharp spike, waiting to hurt anyone that came to close. 

“Do you feel it Virgil? The way the power moves in me is the way that it moves in you. Once you find this connection, you can begin to control it. Find the connection between it and you, what gives it life. Then we need to ground it. Grounding it gives you the power to control it. Once you have it sunk in you at an instinctual level, you won’t be able to lash out with it without meaning to.”

Humming his answer, he just nodded and kept their hands linked. This was weird feeling from outside what Roman felt, how he had to try to match what he could feel. Slowly withdrawing his attention into himself, he pushed out the negative thoughts that tried to invade, that were a part of him. He couldn’t let them, not this time. Breathing deeply, he thought about what the connection might be. It first flared up while he was in the Dragon Witches Castle. What had he felt during that time, what was going on? Roman was in danger. Was Roman his key? No, that didn’t feel like it. How could a single person be the key to something like this? He had wanted to help Roman; to get out of the chains that bound him and fight by his side. 

A word floated across Virgil’s mid and his eyes nearly flew open. Protection. That’s what he did for Thomas at his core. He protected. He knew he went too far sometimes, worrying about things that didn’t need to be worried about and causing more issues as his thoughts spiraled out of control with the what if’s. But that was it. He had wanted to protect Roman. He felt something shift in him with those thoughts and a near physical pain shot through him before he relaxed and nearly fell over, Roman’s hands on his shoulders the only thing that kept him from falling over where he sat.

“You found it Virgil, you can now start building your control, mastering your powers. You’ll never hurt anyone that you don’t want to hurt. I’m proud of you.”

He could only look up at Roman, tired as the last of the pain faded away, leaving a feeling of near normality that he hasn’t realized had been missing. The powers had jumped something in him, and now it was back to normal. He could have cried and nearly did as Roman helped him stand up, helped him balance.

“That’s honestly enough for today, finding your center is draining. Honestly, I didn’t realize that was part of the problem, mine was already grounded since it’s always been apart, as the center of my being as Creativity. Tomorrow we’ll start working on conjuring the power on demand.” 

Virgil could only yawn then, it had been a long day of practice and he agreed, it was time for food and bed. Waving a farewell to Roman once he turned the room back to normal, he grabbed some food from the kitchen before heading back to his room, munching on it all the while. Settling down for sleep, he had to shake his head to get rid of the thoughts. What had taken Roman so long to realize that he wasn’t centered? What had taken him so long to find the right method to train him? Was this the right method? Why didn’t it work before without centering? It had once before. Was it just a reason to beat him black and blue to show him how much he needed training? To punish him for all the bad things he had done before? All the panic attacks he had given Thomas, how much he had held him back? Pushing himself under the covers and the thoughts away, he breathed deeply in his familiar pattern, letting the routine lull him to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italiac's are Virgil talking to himself, to his anxious thoughts.

Back in the clearing as the wind blew lightly and the trees limbs moved slightly, they were unaffected by the goings on around them. A red ball of creative energy floated above Roman’s hand, not doing anything than to be a pretty object to look at in this moment. A look of concentration on his face as he watched the man opposite of him. Virgil sat with both of his cupped in front of him, an intense look of concentration on his face as he a small, smoky looking ball slowly appeared in his hands. It had taken hours to get to this point, but Virgil knew that this was worth it. An actual smile appeared on his face once the first wisp had appeared. Looking up to Roman, the smile was still on his lips, and it kept growing as the wisps solidified in a black ball, traces of purples and blues could be seen as it spun slowly in his hands. 

“Good job Virgil. Believe it or not, this was the hard part. The first manifestations of power like this feeds off of what we feel. I know every time you failed before it made it that much harder to do this. But here you are, a wonderful little power ball in hand. I really am proud of you. “

Letting the dark ball vanish as he watched Roman do the same, Virgil immediately scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed at the support he was receiving. He knew Roman meant it, and that he needed to get used to these interactions, but it was hard. He was trying though, so he just nodded and picked at the sleeves of his hoodie.

“Thanks Roman… Can we head back now? I know we’ve only go this one thing down, but I think we’ve earned a break at least.”

Getting up as Roman nodded, they both stretched, joints popping after sitting in one position for hours. Starting to head back, Virgil couldn’t help but burrow into his hoodie as he felt Roman’s arm on his, comfortable in it all. Those thoughts that had plagued him the night before had silenced when he was around the creative side. Sighing to himself, he knew he was just letting the negatives get to him, that he needed to just be, to follow the instructions on this and learn what he could. Powers were hard and they couldn’t be pushed more, otherwise he knew he would suffer the same effects as the first night.   
With a snap of fingers, they were back in Roman’s room and Virgil could feel the drain on him again. It was break time and he moved with Roman out to the common room. Though they both were surprised to see that Patton had set up a picnic in the middle of it, Logan already sitting cross-legged on the floor.

“I was just about to come get you, I decided it’s been a while since we had lunch together so why not have a family picnic?”

“That’s a great idea Padre, I know I’m hungry. Hey Logan, it’s good to see you out of your room.”

“We could say the same about you two. We almost thought that we were going to have to send a rescue party in after you this time.”

Virgil just rolled his eyes at the two of them as he reached for a sandwich and took a bite. He knew as much as they all bickered about random things, they all cared for each other and would do anything for the other. They had all proven that multiple times already. He smirked to himself as he remembered the way Patton had hugged them both when they returned after the Dragon Witch incident, and they Logan had lectured them and Patton had nearly grounded them both. 

“Ugh, you just don’t get it Logan, that’s like a fact everyone knows”

“FALSEHOOD!”

Jumping a bit with the sudden yell, Virgil couldn’t help but drop his sandwich on his lap, it falling apart and leaving lettuce and tomato sliding down his pant leg. Sighing, he moved the mess off oh his pants and stood up, just looking at Logan, who looked a bit sheepish.

“Sorry Virgil, I didn’t realize you weren’t paying attention. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s fine Logan. I’ll be right back since I need a new pair of pants now.”

As he left the room, he could still hear Roman and Logan arguing about whatever they were arguing about before. Honestly, Virgil didn’t care really. It was the same normal thing, and he loved it. It was home to him, something stable. Smiling a bit to himself as he let himself in his room, he headed for the dresser and opened it up.

_You know they’re going to be talking about you right? ___

__“Jumping to conclusions. I don’t know that for sure, they were talking about something else.”_ _

__Shaking his head and rolling his eyes, he just looked at his reflection in the mirror. It wasn’t the first time he had to fend off the unwanted thoughts that was a characteristic of Anxiety. But this was the first time they sounded like they had an actual voice in his head. Was this because of the enhancement of his new powers?_ _

___You know Roman should have figured it out earlier. You’re not being trained as fast as you should be. He’s holding you back. ____ _

____“Nope, not lying to myself this time. He’s doing his best. Now if you could just shut up, that be great.”_ _ _ _

____Changing his pants, he moved to also brush the hair out of his face, but he paused. Looking at the bit of skin that was revealed, he could only frown. Around his wrist looked to be a vine, in the blackest of black that he had ever seen. Turning his wrist this way and that, he saw that it extended all the way around, connecting into a circle. Pushing up the sleeve on his other arm, he was greeted with the same thing. Twin vines on his wrists. Humming he pushed his sleeves back down, humming in near approval. He always heard that magic could leave marks that this was probably how his manifested._ _ _ _

____“Nice. Eat your heart out Roman, I’ve got some cool new markings for my efforts with this.”_ _ _ _

____Pushing his sleeves back down, he headed back out to the rest of them, ignoring the fact that he was essentially talking to himself for a few moments. Though he stopped when he heard Patton shouting._ _ _ _

____“Why are you throwing a hammer down the lawn Roman?”_ _ _ _

____Heading back into the room, he just shook his head as he saw they had switched to playing videogames. He loved his family and he never wanted them to change._ _ _ _

_____They want you too though. You’ve changed because they wanted you to, and now you’re changing again because of their wants. What about what you want? ____ _ _ _

______Virgil didn’t even bother answering his own thoughts as he sat down, ignoring them in favor of watching whatever it was Roman and Logan were playing on their game system. He knew he was changing because he wanted to. He liked this better now that they all got along and they all supported each other. But he couldn’t quite get the thought out of his head that they wanted him to change more... what would be left of the real him?_ _ _ _ _ _


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, the dark thoughts are in italics.

“Roman, don’t throw things out the window!”

Looking up from his position in his room where he had been playing with a little ball of darkness, a confused look crossing his face. Did he even dare try to find out what happened to get Patton to yell at him?

“What is a yeet? What is happening?!”

Snorting at Logan, he knew that there was another flashcard in the future, he let the puff of darkness vanish as he stood up. A wave of dizziness passed over him quickly as he stood up, a slight rocking on his feet before shaking his head. Clearing his mind, he headed out to the commons, tugging down his sleeves to make sure no one could see the markings that were now starting to trail up his arms like vines, now stopping half way up his forearms. At least they were on the outside and they looked pretty cool. He had taken care to see if anything about him was now affecting Thomas, and thankfully, it wasn’t. This was happening only to him. Nodding to himself, he made his way out to the commons to join the others. 

“Oh, Virgil, I hope we didn’t wake you up. For some reason Roman decided he needed to throw my markers out of the window. I don’t understand why he feels the need to defenestrate things, but it’s really getting to be a pain.”

Virgil saw Logan adjust his glasses and held back a snicker. He knew that Roman had been a good mood, and he was always one of the ones to bring the other two to laughter if it was needed for some reason. Sitting down, he grabbed a pastry from the plate full that had been sat on the table. Nibbling on it to keep himself from laughing more, he focused on his family here. As different as they all were, he wouldn’t have them any other way.

_You wouldn’t have them any other way, but you know they wish you were more open, less negative. They wish you would stop assuming the worst and stop arguing with them. ___

__Not responding to the inner voice that had been louder recently, he shoved the thoughts away; though he couldn’t help but to look at the others. Patton had never said a bad word against him, even calling him his dark son. Logan had been kind to him, and not unnecessarily cruel. He knew Logan just stated facts and tried to get things across as clear as possible. If he was cruel with his words, it was by accident. Like when he was called a defeatist. And Roman…. Well, that was a gamut of emotions and thoughts there between the two of them. From the old hatred they used to have, to the friendship and brotherhood they shared now, it was... different. Virgil knew he wasn’t used to all of this still, but he was learning, letting them all help out when there was issues to be dealt with._ _

__“He’s probably just has a lot of pent up energy. After all, he usually gets it out by adventuring and he’s not done that recently.”_ _

__Virgil could only look down at his hands as Patton spoke. He was the reason that Roman couldn’t enjoy his usual routine. He knew he needed trained and that Roman was the only one that could do it, but to give up something he loved? Perhaps they should take a day off._ _

___That’s right, you’re the fault that he can’t do what he loves. You’re the reason that the other two have to deal with his antics. It won’t take long for them to want to go back to normal, to what their used to. ____ _

____Giving his thoughts a mental middle finger, he just stayed quiet and moved into the kitchen to get himself some lunch, though he was feeling the guilt start to gnaw at his stomach. Moving to grab a glass of water and a protein bar, he headed back out, ignoring the rest._ _ _ _

_____This is what you should do, just hide in your room like you used to do, that’ll solve everything. ____ _ _ _

______“Will you shut up for once, I’m sick of hearing your voice!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Silence over took the room and looking around slowly, Virgil realized he actually said that out loud._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’m sorry kiddo, did I say something wrong?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Looking around at them closer, Patton looked hurt and worried, whereas both Roman and Logan just looked worried and confused. But was there a flash of annoyance in their eyes? It made his stomach drop more to think that he had hurt Patton, that this all was starting to affect him. But what it was, he couldn’t say._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Virge? Are you alright? Did we over stimulate you by accident? Its ok if you want to go back to your room to calm down.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’m sorry Pat….. I…. I…”_ _ _ _ _ _

______And for the first time since he had become part of the family, he synced out, running in flight from a situation he had put himself into, with no way to figure out how to fix it at this moment. Back in his room, he shed his hoodie before getting into the bed, noticing his marking were up to his elbows now. For some reason they made him a bit nervous, but they were also comforting to him. It did just mean he was growing stronger with his powers, right? Of course it did, why would they be there if they weren’t important? Leaving the room dark with only the token night light he left on in the corner to see by to walk to the restroom, he sighed and stared at the ceiling. In the darkness he could ignore the hurt look on his friend’s faces for the moment, he could pretend that he wasn’t on a downward spiral to panicking. Holding up a hand, he looked at his shadow that raised on the wall, reflected by the light._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Least I’ll always have something with me to remind me of the good I can do. A shadow protector. Guess there is a reason for that batman shirt now… I am the Dark Knight…..”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Settling down, he curled up on his side to sleep, letting himself relax for a nap, hoping the issues were just exhaustion related._ _ _ _ _ _

______Though he didn’t see it, the shadows moved to tuck his blanket in a bit more before dispersing over the room only to solidify on the wall next to the door. Sliding over the wall and onto the wood, it curled its hand around the doorknob and it clicked locked before the shadows vanished into the normal corners of the room._ _ _ _ _ _


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, the italics are anxiety talking, but this time given form.

Groaning as he woke up, Virgil glared at the clock on the bedside table. It had only been an hour and a half, a good amount of time for a nap, but he felt worse than before. Growling as he sat up and ran his hands over his face and pushed his hair back, he looked around. Something didn’t feel right. Eyes darting back and forth as he watched his room; nothing seemed off, but he felt like he had to run, to get away. Slipping off of his bed and into his trademark hoodie, he synced out to the living room, intent on the kitchen to get a glass of water. Perhaps that would start calming him down, Logan always did say hydration was important. Breathing deeply, he realized what was wrong. His own internal anxiety was raised, heightened to levels he hadn’t felt in a while. He knew he needed to bring it down before it got out of hand. Taking a few steps forward to the kitchen, he could only stop as he heard soft voices. 

“But what if it was something that was said? Would that have caused this?”

“I don’t know Patton, but we need to give him his space. He’s been doing so well lately. But we all know everyone backslides from time to time. Even Roman still calls him names, but at least he apologizes now.”

So they were talking about him, just like Virgil knew they were. Did they think they needed to treat him with kid gloves? That they needed to walk on eggshells around him? That he was made of glass and would shatter with one thrown stone? He didn’t want them to talk about him like this. He wasn’t backsliding, it was just a rough day apparently and instead of understanding they did this? A small part of his brain tried to tell him he was jumping to conclusions, he was taking everything at too personal a level and was over reacting. This voice he ignored, shoved down into a box and locked away. Growling again under his breath, he lifted his hood up over his head and headed inside, not caring that the conversation dropped off. It just proved that they were talking about him and now they could eat their words knowing he had heard.   
Reaching for a cup, he held it under the faucet, only slightly wincing as he heard a chair move slightly on the floor. Tensing up as he could feel someone approaching him, the soft footsteps on the floor, he didn’t bother turning towards the noisy offender.

“What?”

“Virgil, did your nap not help?”

Looking out of the corner of his eye as Logan leaned against the counter, a concerned look on his face, Virgil just snorted and rolled his eyes.

“When does a nap ever really help me?”

Pushing up his glasses, Logan looked him over, taking in all the signs and he stepped back a pace, out of the so called personal bubble. Nodding, he sighed as he motioned for Virgil to take a drink of his water.

“Well, given that you’re currently showing your signs of increased anxiety, the snappiness, the hiding in your hoodie, and the fact you look like a cat nervous of rocking chairs, I would say you’re still having issues. Perhaps hydration would help? Or shall I grab your headphones for you? Here, my room should help you if you would like?”

Virgil could only pull away as Logan tried to grab his arm, a hiss leaving his lips as he curled out of the way, bending his back in a cat like way. He stopped though when he heard a gasp that sounded like it came from Patton.

“What now? You all know I don’t like to be touched like this… sensory overload… still experiencing it actually…”

Patton could only shake his head and point at the ground by Virgil’s feet. Looking down, he saw something that made his blood run cold. His shadow wasn’t connected to him anymore. In fact, it appeared like it had frozen halfway to Logan, reaching for his own shadow that had stood behind him… he really didn’t want to know what the shadow had been about to do. Looking up at Roman, it was easy to see the fear in Virgil’s eyes, at how he was starting to shake. He was frozen in place, the third option to the Flight or Fight instincts. 

Gaze hardening in place as he knew he had to do something, Roman moved closer to Virgil, muttering under his breath, too soft to be heard. A golden light appeared from his hand, moving enough to chase the errant shadow back to his master. Swallowing hard, he strode forward one, two, three steps, grabbed Virgil around the bicep before snapping, both syncing out to Romans room; more specifically the clearing where they had been practicing. 

Backing up as soon as they were in the clearing, he cast his arms out, releasing a shield of a type. Nodding as it shimmered and settled, he turned to face Virgil again, concerned.

“There, now nothing can get in that I don’t want it too. Virgil, what was that? That wasn’t normal of shadow powers. It was acting without your direction, and I’ve never seen an actual shadow move separate from a body.”

“I……”

He didn’t know what to say to Roman, eyes glancing around the clearing, the tell-tale shimmer of the warding putting him more on edge. He didn’t care what Roman said, it felt confining to him. He thought as he tried to control his breathing, knowing if he talked now that his voice would have the start of the weird echo’s to it. Turning around in a circle as he tried to sync out, he could feel his panic levels rising as he was stuck. Lifting his arms to cover his head with his hood, his head snapped up as he felt a hand on his arm. Looking over at Roman, who was standing right by him, he saw one of the sleeves of his hoodie had come down, revealing the vine markings on his arms. 

“I’m sorry for touching you when panicking, but these marks Virgil? How long have you had them? I need to know. I promise I won’t get mad at you.” 

Looking down to see one of Roman’s hands on his wrist, the other was holding his hoodie sleeve up above his elbow his eyes now locked on the markings. Was there a reason for roman to get mad at him? Trying to calm down his breathing, he closed his eyes. He needed to take a step forward and lean into Roman, use him as a grounding mechanism to root him in warmth and safety, to give him the power to overcome his fears.

_Of course he’ll be mad. You purposely kept information from him that put him and the others in danger. You know you enjoyed that look of fear in everyone’s face when they realized what you could do now, at how strong you became. It’s what you were trying to do before isn’t it? Make them listen to you, to see that you’re right on actions of what to do. All you’ve ever done is try to protect them, and what did you get? Cast as the villain. Well, you have the power now to show them what you couldn’t before. Use the energy you’re using now to help you. ___

__Looking to the side where it seemed the voice was speaking from, it looked like… himself? But the figure had a dark aura surrounding it and there was a dark, cocky smirk on his face. He radiated power and control._ _

___The dark isn’t necessary evil Virgil, and the light doesn’t always mean good. You should know this as well. Remember how the so called good sides used to treat you? Couldn’t stand to have you around, always getting rid of you. Take my hand Virgil, I’ll show you how to control your powers in the way that Roman can’t. I’ll teach you things he could never think of, that he could never do. ____ _

____“Virgil! Look at me! Talk to me, what’s happening? What are you looking at? I need to know to help you.”_ _ _ _

____Tearing his eyes away from the shadow version of him, he looked to Roman before pulling his arm away, bring it close to himself. Breath picking up again as he tightened his hood around his head and curled into himself._ _ _ _

____“Just leave me alone I need to think I need to calm down, both of you!"_ _ _ _

____Roman could only stand there as he watched in horror as shadows overcame Virgil, and when they dispersed, he was in the clearing alone._ _ _ _

____“Virgil, come back here, we need to work on this, and I can help you calm down…. Damnit.”_ _ _ _

____Dropping to his knees, he hit the ground hard. He could only imagine what was going on with Virgil now, and how much Logan and Patton were going to worry that he’d lost the shadowing again._ _ _ _

____“I will find you Virgil; I’ll tear apart my Kingdom just to get you back.”_ _ _ _


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave a comment, I will answer you now that I know how to! And welcome the return of Reginald, the mirror servant!

Snapping his fingers together, he appeared back in his room, near frantically looking around, hoping to see Virgil setting on his bed or even leaning against the wall. The only things he could see were the posters and Ms. Fluffy-bottom. Groaning as everything was starting to settle over him, he turned toward the door. He had to check to make sure Virgil hadn’t found some way to sync back to the commons again. If he had, Roman swore he was going to kick the shadowling’s ass from here to Sunday for scaring him like that and for not trusting him. Footsteps reverberated along the corridor as he left his room and into the main area, scanning for a certain eye-shadow wearing side in a purple hoodie. Gaze passing over a nervous looking Logan and Patton, Roman growled as he passed them both and headed over to Virgil’s spot, trying to get a sense if anything had passed through here that shouldn’t have.

“Did Virgil come back here?”

Feeling his stomach drop as the other two stiffened in their seats; that was all the answer he really needed. 

“How the hell do you lose someone that quick Roman? You’ve only been gone ten minutes! I swear, do we need to put a tracker on both of you?”

“Language Logan; but yes Roman, how did you lose Virgil that fast, you were only gone for a few minutes. He couldn’t have gone far right? I mean, he always reappears when he shuts himself up when he panics.”

The Royal trait could only groan as he ran his hands through his hair, leaving it sticking out every which way. Shaking his head, he paced from side to side a bit on the bottom landing where Virgil usually sat before he leaned against the wall, hands moving rapidly, with his speech.

“I don’t know. He panicked. He shouldn’t have been able to get out of the protection circle I set, but he did. He vanished in a cloud of smoke, like those ninja’s do on television. He just upped and poofed. He’s… I’m extremely worried. There were makings on his arms that I had never seen. Twisting as vines that went from his writs to his elbows… least I can assume they were on both arms. Darkness doesn’t just leave things unbalanced on one arm. I’m not sure what has its hooks in Virgil, but something does. And I bet that’s what is influencing him. All the talking he’s done to himself lately, the moving shadows, everything.”

The other two sides could only look at each other, a silent conversation passing between them before looking back to Roman. Slowly they both stood up and approached Roman, both laying a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. 

“Roman, we don’t have powers like you; we can’t manipulate your world as you can. We can’t get things to move to our control, like Virgil can with shadows. You need to figure out where he went, what’s going on, and how to get him back. But on that note, if you do not return in a few days, we will break down the door to your realm and come find you both.”

“That’s right. No one can stand against us on a quest to bring back Virgil. My dark, strange son is in good hands.”

Nodding with the votes of confidence, he breathed in and focused before exhaling slowly. An idea had come to him, one that he had to check while he still could. But first….

“I’ll take the smaller magic mirror with me. If I need anything, I’ll send a message. I’ve got a larger one in my room that, I think, can move to visit your mirrors to give you updates. You won’t need to rhyme to get them, they only do that for me to keep me sharp.”

Nodding to them both, he got up and made his way back to his room, heading over to his dresser where he had put the magic mirror he took from the Dragon Witch on the last encounter. Waving his hand over the top of it, he summoned a bit of power to himself, one that connected him to his room and to all things in his realm. 

'You don’t have to do that with me Prince Roman. I’m glad to see you again. What can I help you with this time, or do you just want to talk again?'

“Reginald, I need you to show me where Virgil is?”

Your Dark Knight right? Did you lose him again? You really need to start being more careful with your things Roman.

“Now is not the time to lecture me, this is important, where is Virgil?”

Grumbling a bit, the mirror reflected a colorful swirling mist, purples intermixing with blue, black and even a dark shade of red. Piano music was playing too. Roman swore he was going to find a mirror that didn’t pull stunts like this, he could do without it at times like this… though he couldn’t quite figure out how they played piano music. The focus came back in when the face appeared again, though it appeared hesitant.

'I can’t find him. There is a big black spot over the Forest of the Lost, the one that the Cheshire Cat likes to inhabit. There’s also a weird energy over the Dragon witches Castle…'

“I knew she had to be involved somehow. You can call between realms yes? Between here and the Dragon witch?"

'I can… is that such a good idea though? I know you two have a … rocky relationship…'

“She has done something with Virgil… this isn’t him, not fully. He’s still in there, still fighting. I need to save him. Just make the call.”

As the mirror’s surface changed into swirling colors as the call was going through, Roman just frowned and tried not to pace. He was jittery, wanting to get a move on, but he needed facts. He knew he needed to calm down; racing into danger with his temper raging was just asking for problems that he didn’t want to deal with. That’s something that he had learned from Virgil and the rest, that it was important to not let his anger cloud his judgment. Shaking his head, his focus returned on the here and now when the mirror started to clear up and he saw a woman’s face, with a haughty look on it.

“My dear Prince Roman, how glad I have to hear from you…. Unfortunately this is a bad time and I have company over. Call again in a few hours would you? I’ll have some free time then. Toodles~”

And with that, the line went silent as those words spoken in the lyrical tone sunk into Roman’s ears, processing. Growling with newly built anger, he barely kept himself from throwing the mirror. Shoving it into his belt, he wanted to lash out, to cause damage to something. Turing in place, he strode over to the doors to his realm and entered, slamming them behind him. 

“How dare she… how dare… I’ll turn her into a lizard, a small lizard I can keep in a shoe box…. I’ll…”

Roman knew he had to figure out a plan, but for now, he knew he had to see the witch. His anger was as bright as a fire and roaring in his veins. Something needed to burn, and it would as soon as he figured out what it was.


	8. Chapter 8

Looking around his realm, he growled as he wasn’t surprised there was no one waiting for him here. Even still, that fueled the fire in him, one that was already burning and threatening to become an inferno. He knew he needed to calm down before he did anything, but it was hard. His shield brother was missing, the one that was supposed to watch his back… and he failed him. He didn’t protect him, didn’t notice something that was wrong. Perhaps that’s the main reason why he was so angry. He was mad at himself; and mad at whoever was responsible for this. He was going to fix this, he had to fix this. With a snap of his fingers, he appeared in front of the Dragon witches castle, taking the shortcut he hadn’t been able to take before. There was no spell, no geas over him that prohibited it this time like last. He had to follow the three day requirement, he had to face the challenges last time that was ordained by the Quest. But this time, everything was free and he was going to use every opportunity he had. 

Growling as he tried to direct his anger to something useful instead of burning him, he shoved the main doors to the castle open, striding into the place as if he owned this place. Looking around, he remembered the paths of before, the way to the Throne Room, where the witch was likely to be. Plus he could hear voices... Her voice... and was that the local wizard who sold trinkets in the market? It didn’t matter though. Once he reached the doors, he drew back just enough and kicked as hard as he could, sending one door slamming into the wall, opening it as far as it would go, the sound reverberating through the large room.   
A squeak came from the aged Wizard as he toppled over in his chair and scrambled to hide behind the nearest pillar of marble in the room. Roman ignored him though as he only eyed the Dragon witch as she stood out of her chair and sighed as she moved closer to the Prince. 

“Always one for the dramatics Prince Roman. I have company and you just scared him. I told you I would talk with you later.”

Though she couldn’t only let out a breath as she found herself pressed against the wall, the creative side’s arm against her throat and feeling a blade pressing into her side.

“One wrong word and I end this for good. What did you do to Virgil?”

“If you want me to actually answer that, you need to let me breath Roman.”

Her voice sounded strained, but it was even as she kept a neutral look on him. Slowly, Roman pulled his arm back, pressing his hand against her shoulder instead. Growling under his breath, he nudged the blade closer to her, letting it cut clean through part of her green dress and against her skin. He could feel the heat of her body on his hand. A part of him was surprised that her magic wasn’t responding, but he was too focused on her, on getting information now.

“There, now you can breathe. Now answer my question. What did you do to Virgil, or as you have known him before, Anxiety. I know you did something to him you vile witch, this had your markings all over it.”

“All I’ve done, my little Prince, is allowed his inner Darkness the freedom to show itself. You know just as well as I do how much he hides, how much you used to paint him as the villain. You at one point knew what he could have done if he wasn’t held back by his own thoughts and his worry for the host. What did he say before? I’m not always the villain?” 

“Why would you do this? He’s tried so hard and come so far... He has nothing to do with this kingdom nor your plans. He is nothing to you.”

She just laughed harder, ignoring the knife to her side. Moving her hands, she pushed him away as she stepped away from the wall, her wings stretching out behind her as she stood tall, and a smirk crossing her face as she brought a clawed hand to cover her lips. And amused look across her face as she looked down on him. He hated that look. From the first day that looked had graced her face till now, it would always be one that he hated to see. 

“Roman, my dear foolish Prince. He may be nothing to me, but he is everything to you. Would you go this far for the other Sides? You two have a connection, and a deep one. Now, do I have to explain everything to you? I’m not one of the helpers of your quest, I’m the evil that causes you pain that leads to your growth. Besides, you said you wanted more of a challenge. Now you have one.”

With that said, she moved back to her throne and sat, waving to right the chair that was toppled over. Looking to the column, she gestured for the wizard as her wings settled behind her and smiled.   
“Come on now Thaler. Our tea is going to get cold at this rate.” Turning back towards Roman, she smiled sweetly. “I do believe you have your own quest to do and you’re wasting precious time. Tick tock Roman, your Knight is waiting for you.”

With another growl under his breath, Roman tried to get closer again to her, but found he couldn’t. It seemed somehow she had erected a barrier. Either that, or the quest and castle was preventing him from attacking her again since she did provide some answers and it was time to move on. Muttering under his breath about the stupid rules of questing and of how magic itself worked sometimes without needing words, he turned and stocked out of the room, moving out of the castle eventually. 

Looking around, he took a moment to breath, copying one of the breathing exercises he had seen Virgil do before. He knew he had to think, to get the information organized in his head. How could he find Virgil? Would he be at the forest like the mirror said there was a presence? Shifting from foot to foot as he breathed slowly, he felt something against his chest and nearly face palmed.

“Roman, you dolt. How can you forget about the lockets? You made them for a reason you idiot.”

Pulling out his own locket and holding it before him, he spun is slowly before it started glowing and it and Roman vanished. It wasn’t a moment later that he appeared in a clearing in front of the Forest of the Lost. But... it had changed. There was a wall of briars surrounding the forest, and the forest itself seemed dark… foreboding. 

Pulling his sword and summoning a shield, he moved closer to the briars and halted. These looked like the ones from sleeping beauty; but somehow different. Frowning, he moved to inspect them and haltered. All the thorns were pointing inward, as if to keep someone trapped within the forest. Walking along the wall, Roman knew there had to be a way in. This wall was for keeping something in, not out. Finally, a small opening appeared, but in front of it was a podium. As Roman stepped closer, he could see that there was a purple pillow nestled on top. And on the pillow was Virgil’s locket. 

Hands shaking as he reached for it, a strange noise left his throat. It was a cross between a groan and a whimper, knowing what that implied. He didn’t understand it, couldn’t understand how or why this had happened. Lifting it in his hands, it reflected light, shining in a sense of false hope, or at least that’s how it felt to Roman. Snapping as he held the locket close to his chest, he appeared in the living room with Logan and Patton. Before the other two could say anything, he held out the locket for the other two to see.

“Virgil took off his locket…. The Dragon Witch has her hands in this. Guys… I’m lost… I don’t know what to do.”


	9. Chapter 9

Looking up when Roman appeared back in the room, Logan and Patton could only watch as the Prince appeared shaken, hesitant even. This was so unlike the Roman they knew, the brash, loud, confident man that was always charging head first into danger. 

“Virgil took off his locket…. The Dragon Witch has her hands in this. Guys… I’m lost… I don’t know what to do.”

The tray of sandwiches that Patton held in his hand dropped to the ground, plates shattering and one lone cup rolled to in front of Roman, stopping on its side as the last of the liquid inside of it stilled against the ceramic side. Slowly he walked closer to Roman, shaking hands lifting up just enough to reach for the locket, sorry passed through Patton’s eyes. Taking the locket from Roman, he held it close to his own chest, thoughts chasing themselves across his face before confusion took his place.

“Why would he do this Roman? He knows he’s one of us now, that he’s part of our family. Why would he take this off?”

Adjusting his glasses, Logan sighed as he moved to stand beside Patton, watching Roman, a tightness in his chest at how defeated the two already looked.

“I can’t say I’m too surprised. In all the grand tales and stories of old, anytime someone has chosen a dark path, they always cast off what could be considered their old life. There could be various reasons behind it, but knowing Virgil, I can only think of a few that fit with his characterization. He’s casting off his locket, his connection with us so he doesn’t’ feel as much guilt. The locket represents the good things, the things he feels he can’t have. And in a way, it’s a protection. If he doesn’t have the locket, he can’t use it against us.” 

“Oh, like Elsa? Casts of the crown and literally changes everything, builds a castle and remakes herself?”

“Maybe not quite like that Roman, but similar concept. Virgil has cast off his locket, his connection to us. But if it is the Dragon’s doing, then it could be a casting off of something that would lead to his salvation.”

Roman could only sigh as he looked between the two of his friends, his brethren, before looking to the locket. Face hardening with the decision he knew he had to make, he straightened his back and squared his shoulders, looking every ounce of a Knight and Prince he claimed himself to be.

“This is my fault and I will get him back. I promised I’d teach him, and I’ve failed that too.”

“Roman, how is this your fault? It’s not like you were the one to do this to him.”

“But that’s just it Patton. In around about way, it is my fault. She heard me say I needed a stronger opponent, so she took it upon herself to give me one.”

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Roman looked over to see Patton next to him, smiling softly, but his eyes still looked sad. Roman knew he would do anything to bring the sparkle back to those eyes. To hear Virgil laughing at the puns and at how Logan would get frustrated at making the accidental pun every so often. 

“We’ll go with you Roman. We all need to work together to reach Virgil, there is strength in numbers after all. As Patton says, we are family, and we need to stick together. Besides, perhaps one of us can reach something in Virgil that the others can’t. “

“Alright. You all can come with. .. just … follow every direction I tell you alright? I don’t need you two captured as well.”

Leading the other two to his room, Roman sighed internally as he thought. He couldn’t let them come with him; he couldn’t focus on getting Virgil back and trying to protect these two. He knew what he had to do, but the others were going to be angry and it would not be pretty when he returned. Leading them to his room, he nodded as he motioned to the door that lead to the imagination. It currently just looked like a normal door in his room.

“Are you sure we aren’t going to Narnia? That looks like the door to Narnia.”

“No Patton, it’s the door to the Imagination, where I go questing and where the Dragon witch lives along with all the other monsters, like the manticore-chimera. I’ll go first to make sure there is nothing waiting on the other side. Then you two can cross and we’ll head to the woods where Virgil is.” 

Looking at Logan, he met stern eyes that seemed to know what he was planning. Somehow Roman kept himself from swallowing loudly and just nodded at him before turning back towards the door. He could feel the stare in between his shoulder blades, almost feeling like there was something coming for him, something he needed to watch out for. But it was just Logan and Patton, it would be fine, they’d understand.

Raising his hands, he brought them around and the door glowed and opened again, revealing a green country side and a shimmering sun. It was possible to smell the meadow, the scent of the tall grass that waved gently with the breeze; the few flowers that were hiding in the greenery. A few trees here and there could also been seen, chirping from birds barely heard drifted on the breeze. The sky was lit with a golden shimmer, highlighting all the deep shades and colors that were offered with just this one view. 

He didn’t dare look back at the two behind him as he walked through the door, knowing he was about to disappoint Patton and anger Logan. The logical side has just as bad of a temper as he did. Once though the door before the others could walk through, he waved his hand and the door shut between them, shimmering around the edges as it sealed itself. 

Hearing a sound, Roman winced and closed his eyes, guessing that Patton had ran into the door… he was going to hear about that one later. He stood there, leaning on his side of the door, eyes close, and pain in his chest at the action. He knew it was the correct thing to do, but it hut to do it. 

“Roman? What happened? Why did the door shut and why is it locked?”

“Roman, if you don’t open this door right now, I’ll make you pay the minute I see you again.”

“Patton, Logan…. I’m sorry. I can’t have you two risking yourselves like this… I know you want to help, but you can’t. You don’t know my realm, you can’t protect yourself like I can. I can’t risk her getting to you too. I promise I’ll be alright, and I promise I’ll be home soon.”

“But Roman, don’t you-“

“I’m sorry Patton. I’m really sorry.”

“Fine then. Good luck getting Virgil back. But you’ll have to do a lot to make this up to Patton and myself. “

“I will, don’t worry.”

As Roman nodded and moved away from the door, he didn’t hear the other two moving away from the door, still talking.

“Are we really going to let him go alone Logan? He needs our help, even if he doesn’t think he does.”

“Of course not Patton, once we can find a way to get through the door, we’re going after him and Virgil. After all, we are family, what affects one of us affects us all.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoy!

Staring up at the wall of briars that surrounded the forest, he sighed. This was going to be hard. Not just because he was facing a close friend, but because he didn’t want to hurt Virgil. He was going to have to find a way to save him without doing him grievous harm... all the while he could guarantee no such thing from the other. Swearing to himself suddenly, he realized he forgot to demand the Dragon Witch tell him what the black markings were for. Were they signs of how far her hold on him had gotten, or were they what caused the hold in the first place? For the moment, it didn’t really matter, but in the long run, it might. Kicking the pebbled path in front of him, he shook his head. It was too late now, the time would come when he would find out, but for now, it just mattered that he get to Virgil. Moving closer to the entrance he had found before, he found that it was still there, as well as the podium. The entrance, a near perfect door made out of the vines. 

Roman knew the history behind the Hedge of Thornes. It was a classic task in many tales, but now that he was able to look at it, to think it through, he wasn’t sure that it was such a good thing that this is the way that the powers have chosen to manifest. For the briars to be pointing inward, they wanted to keep what was inside, inside. But that wasn’t all. The appearance of the Hedge also could show the signs of Virgil’s mind. The Hedge was also in place for something that tears at the mind of those that try to get through it. The words Virgil had spoken before he vanished floated back to him on a memory, almost able to be heard perfectly if he was standing next to him again. 

“Just leave me alone I need to think; I need to calm down, both of you!"

Both of you. That phrase alone should have resonated in Roman’s head earlier, and he knew it. Was it proof that Virgil’s thoughts were splintering, that there was a different side of him trying to take control? The witch did say that she had removed the barriers to Virgil’s inner darkness, was that a side effect? Groaning as he moved closer to the hedge, he carefully laid a hand on the harness of the plants and sighed. He needed to find a way to heal the fracture in Virgil’s mind. 

“Alright, I’m ready. I’ll help heal your wounds. Open up for me.”

And with those words, the vines that had been intertwined to make the doorway parted and left an arch, passage now free to those that could enter. Roman could only hope it wasn’t a maze, but he knew he shouldn’t’ get his hopes up. Once he was a few steps inside, the way back twisted closed behind him, becoming a solid wall. Summoning his shield and sword, he strapped the shield to his back and the sword to his waist before he started forward, twisting with the path. 

Slowly, Roman started looking around, trying to figure out what was so unsettling about his surroundings. He knew it wouldn’t be peaceful, but… he felt like he needed to watch his back, like there was something watching him. Jumping at a shadow out of the corner of his eye, he realized the problem. There was no ambient noise; no sounds of bugs chirping in the grass, no birds high in the trees. There wasn’t even the sound of the vines moving in the wind, nor water tricking in the brook that he knew that was around here before. Breathing deep, he reached out to the wall and stood still, pulling his thoughts back to himself. Was this an effect of the maze? Or was it because of Virgil and his powers? It had to be Virgil and the way the domains he called his own mimicked the anxious nature and caused any in his domain to feel similar affects.

Sighing, roman moved to pinch his nose. He hated when this happened. He didn’t need his own anxieties out for all too see again. Once was enough. But at least the last time, the others were there and he hand Virgil to ground him, to save him and to get him out. This time though, he had to face it, to deal with it. He would do it for Virgil, he knew he would. 

“You’re fine Roman, just fine. It’s all in your head and none of it is real. We can deal with this… We can get through this maze and to the center where Virgil is. Just have to keep to the left side of the maze and we’ll eventually get there….Just like Logan has said before…”

“Right is wrong”

A loud scream erupted from Roman before he threw himself backwards, twisting to draw his sword In the process. He would worry about the way the briars scraped his hand and tore at his sleeves, he was busy trying to locate where the voice had sounded from. Finally his eyes rested on the Raven that was perched on one of the outcroppings of vines and he narrowed his eyes. 

“You have the worst timing. Leave it to a creature of Virgil’s to scare me half to death. Wait… are you from Virgil, or are you something from the magic of the forest?”

This was an answer that Roman knew he needed. Depending on the answer was how he knew to take the appearance of the Raven. Throughout history and in tales, the Raven had meant many different things. From knowledge gathers to harbingers of war and fighting, they were the equivalent of a double edged sword. Smart as a human and cunning as a fox, this animal actually seemed perfect for this circumstance. Though even if it was from Virgil, it could either be an omen of guidance and knowledge, something to lead Roman to a fight. Though the reason it’s appearance might differ, in a roundabout way, they all led to the same goal. 

“Nevermore”

“Of course you would say that. Well, let’s see, if right is wrong, then let’s go left. You are coming with me right?”

As if in answer, the bird fluttered a bit farther down the path and landed on another outcropping, squawking and preening itself as it waited for Roman to catch up.

“… Fair enough.”

Moving to follow the bird, he sheathed his sword, watching where he was going, his left arm still out towards the thorny wall. He was really glad there were no roses in this hedge, noting that suggest life in this desolate environment. 

“….. Once we get him out of here, we are so brightening up his outlook on life….”

The bird just quirked for an answer to Roman’s statement, but Roman nodded his head like the Raven was actually agreeing with him. For all he knew, the bird was. Pausing long enough to conjure some bandages, he wrapped them around his left hand, wincing as they pressed on the scrapes. He was going to injure Virgil himself if he was cowering in the middle and made him go through all this for no reason.   
Vanishing the rest of the bandages, he knew he was lucky that he had that skill. He should have come prepared anyway and he knew Logan would have plenty of reasons to yell at him later. Shaking his head, he moved to start following the Raven. After a few paces though, Roman couldn’t help but to look around, to judge if there were any threats hiding in the shadows, any eyes that were peeking out of places that they didn’t belong. Nodding in satisfaction that he was safe for the moment, he turned back towards the path before him. Blinking, he huffed in annoyance. The raven was gone. 

“Of course you vanish. You are Virgil’s bird alright. Darker Virgil always lived to annoy me.”

He couldn’t help but to mumble as he kept his left arm out towards the wall, being sure to be vigilant of those thorns, which he now knew from firsthand experience, were sharp. Sighing with acceptance that this was now how his life worked, at the mercy of the creatures who thought it would be funny to scare him then vanish, he sat off again. Wondering briefly to himself if he could use his mirror to help, to see what was waiting him at the center. Shaking his head, he knew he shouldn’t; that if Virgil was truly succumbing to the darkness inside of him, that it would break his heart and it would damage his resolve. Roman knew he had to stay firm, he couldn’t let himself start to beak. He somehow knew that if this metal reflection of Virgil’s starting reacting to his own break in mental fortitude, which could potentially prove disastrous for both of them. 

But... what would happen if his own resolve started to break while he was here? What if he started to doubt himself? He knew Virgil, that he was just as strong as him. If Virgil could fall to the power of the Dragon Witch, couldn’t he? With those thoughts, the vision in front of him changed. Gone were the briar walls, and in their place were stone, openings here and there. He recognized it, it was a labyrinth.. And it was so much worse than the briar forest he was in. Shaking his head to dispel it, he breathed deeply, firming his mentality up. He knew he could do this, he had to. There was nothing that would stop him, not even himself. He owed Virgil too much to let himself fall. 

And with those thoughts, the vision vanished, and the briars returned. He wouldn’t let the maze heighten his own fears and play them up to cause more problems than he needed. Pausing as he looked around. He realized he hadn’t taken any turns yet, but he should have. Roman knew he had kept to the left.

“Son of a…” 

Frowning in realization, he slowly approached the right side, the side that should have been closest to the center and examined the wall in front of him. All the thorns in the hedge looked alike, but somehow, something was wrong. Was it because this place was being influenced by Virgil to keep others out? Or was the hedge still not letting others in enough to rescue him. There was only one way Roman knew he could try to find out. Carefully he placed his palms against the thick hedge, careful not to touch the thorns, and started letting his magic tap into the deep seated one that moved through this forest. Feeling the vines start to creep over his arms, he smiled, knowing the forest magic was acknowledging him. Slowly opening his eyes so he could see what affect his presence was having, he froze in fear. 

Wrapped around his arms were not the tendrils of the vines, but dark shadows that contrasted sharply with his white outfit. Pulling his right arm out of the grasp of the shadows, he reached for his sword only to have his arms grabbed and brought down by another shadow. Struggling, he pulled, trying to back up to give himself more momentum, but he found he couldn’t. Looking down, there was a pool of shadows around him, wrapping around his legs. 

Fear coursed through him as he could feel himself start sinking, as if the shadows were pulling him into themselves, taking him somewhere he didn’t want to go. He had to save Virgil, he had to fight these shadows. Struggling, he screamed as he brought his arms around his head and vanished from sight. 

Time held no meaning for Roman at the moment. He felt frozen in time, unsure of what was going on around him. Hearing a dark chuckle, Roman realized he could move. Not much, but just enough to where he could get one knee bent. Slowly he looked up and his jaw nearly dropped in shock. 

“Well, look at what we have here… Finally kneeling before me where you belong. Are you surprised Princey?”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And two more chapters left to go I believe! Hope you all like this!

“Well, look at what we have here… Finally kneeling before me where you belong. Are you surprised Princey?”

Looking around, he was still in a pool of blackness, his hands held down as shadows solidified into chains. Chains manifested around his ankles too, the pool of blackness never vanishing. Feeling a few fingers under his chin, it was slowly raised, eyes traveling up the length of Virgil. The move itself was a classic one that could signal anything, even including the romantic tension between the protagonist and the villain, but this didn’t feel like that to Roman. To Roman, as his eyes took in the darkened form in front of him, he saw the change. Gone was Virgil’s comfortable hoodie and ripped jeans. In its place was a leather armor that would allow for a hit and run attack system. Dark pants, similar to the ones Roman wore were over black boots. From there, there was a leather armor over his chest and midsection, one that allowed for a full range of movement, segments tied together with an equally black cord. The leather from the chest down looked like it was layered in scales, and frankly it worried Roman. This was not the armor meant for a straight attack. The arm guards and covered from his elbows down, including part of his hands. He could see the dark marks that traveled from his writs up under the armor, and now extended up onto his neck, from both sides. There was too many openings for Roman’s comfort, to many places that could be hit, but he knew that he would have to use that to his advantage. 

Looking farthing up, into the face of his friend and captor, Roman looked into those eyes. Instead of the warm brown that they all shared, staring back at him was an indigo, a deep color that seemed to hold something back, lock something away. Pulling his chin away from the light hold he was in, he growled and struggled, trying to pull himself out of the chains he was locked in. 

“Virgil! What’s gotten into you?”

A cold laugh froze Roman where he kneeled. He could only watch as Virgil kneeled down to his level and smirked. 

“The truth has gotten into me Roman. I finally see how it all is, all that it could be. Darkness isn’t necessarily evil Roman. Just as the light isn’t always good. They must exist to balance each other, and now I am your balance here. There has been too much light in your Kingdom. Time for darkness to take hold and teach the people they need to appreciate what they had. How do you like having an old friend as an enemy, worse than before? Are you afraid of me now? I wonder if I could get you begging for my mercy.” 

As Virgil spoke, Roman’s breath hitched. A cold, black blade was pressed to his throat; not hard enough to cut, but enough to give the threat, to cause his breath to freeze in fear of causing the blade to slice into his skin. He just stared at the other, watching as those blank stains on his skin creeped ever closer together across the skin he could see over the top of the armor. Thankfully it wasn’t a moment later when the knife was pulled away and Roman could breathe again. 

“Virgil, you need to break out of it, the blackness is spreading through you, tainting you, drawing you into it. I don’t know how much longer till it fully takes hold, but you need to fight it! Let me help you! Logan and Patton are waiting for us. We’ll have a movie night and you can pick the movie; Patton will make your favorite food, Logan will read your favorite story. Just please; this isn’t you. Come home.”

“That’s all well and good Prince Roman, but I’m afraid he’s almost fully under my control. You’ll have to try harder than that for your pathetic pleas to get through to him.”

Hissing as he recognized that voice, his looked behind where Virgil was now standing to see the Dragon Witch. A near growl left his throat as he watched her arm encircle his waist and her chin came to rest on his shoulder. 

“Get away from him you arrogant, conniving bi-“

“Now now, Prince Roman, One with such Royal Blood such as yours shouldn’t curse like a common peasant."

Silence filled the area as a host of emotions played across Roman’s face and could be seen echoing over his body. Muscles twitched and tensed as he looked to the side, eyes hard. Biting his lip, he took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before he let it go. It was obvious that anger was still showing in his frame, but it he knew he could use it to his advantage later on. He had to control it, not let it control him and ruin everything. Anger misused here could cost them Virgil. Keeping his breathing even, he was eventually able to look back at the Dragon Witch who still had an arm around Virgil. Virgil himself was grinning in a way that sent shivers down Roman’s spine with the implications behind it, a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. But it was the look in those glowing indigo eyes hadn’t shifted, hadn’t reacted to her touch at all. Swallowing, he nodded, firming up his will that he was taking the right course of action. 

“And what, praytell, did you mean by he’s almost fully under your control? Wait, do you mean those black markings over his arms?” 

“Why don’t you use that magic mirror you have on your waist, Prince Roman? You know, the one that you stole from me.”

Blinking at that, he looked down to where he could see the mirror. Shifting, he found he could move one arm just enough to grab it and bring it up, blinking as green magic from the witch overtook the mirror and its clear surface was now showing a picture of Virgil’s chest. Except instead of just pale flesh, the black vines that had been creeping across his arms were now also across the chest, making a near wheel in the circle, not connected yet, but close. The feeling of cold realization washed over him as everything sunk into place, the threat to train Virgil when he was first kidnapped, the odd behavior, everything. Moving to put the mirror back when he had it, he closed his fists and focused. He had to save Virgil, he couldn’t let this happen. He was a vital member of the team and he wouldn’t betray him in that way. 

The Witch and Virgil blinked and had to shield their eyes, pulling away from Roman in the process. Virgil hissed as light was radiating off of the Prince, near blinding him, pushing at something in him that held onto the darkness like a cover. It tried to burn it away, but it held fast in its stead, too deeply rooted in to flee at this bright light. When the light died down enough for him to look, he blinked, purple eyes confused as Roman stood there, the shadow chains gone and forgotten. Instead the Prince was wearing an armor that could almost been seen to be made of the light that he was just radiating. It was a strong armor, meant for protection and quick movement.

“So, the great Prince is going to make a stand against his best friend, huh? Now, now Roman, wouldn’t want to hurt me, you know it would make Patton sad.”

“How dare you try to use his name against me! This whole thing would make him sad! You on the side of the Dragon Witch would make him sad… Me trying to bring you back to us is an understandable part of this. You are not the Virgil that is our friend and brother. He is in there somewhere still, and that’s the man I’m fighting for. Right now, you are nothing but a plaything of a Dragon and I will be facing you as such, to whatever ends.” 

“Try it Princey, I’m taking you to the ground.”

The slight sound of a metallic ting could be heard as Roman unsheathed his sword and held it in front of him, raised up in front of him, one that shown that he was ready for anything that came is way. Across from him, black enveloped Virgil’s hands, though it solidified into twin onyx daggers. They stood there for a moment, sizing each other up. They both knew they had never faced each other like this before, and while Roman had never wanted to be in this position, he knew he needed to get Virgil back. 

With a loud cry, Roman pushed forward, bringing his sword down and around, aiming the flat of his blade for Virgil’s side, trying to knock his breath out than to actually hurt hm. Nearly elated when he saw Virgil duck and lunge for his legs. Scrambling out of the way, Roman pivoted on one foot to come face to face with Virgil again. Breathing a bit heavy, fighting always was hard, and it took more effort than people thought it did.

“Not bad Virgil, looks like your fight reflexes have kicked in.”

“Shut up Princey. I’m tired of hearing the garbage that you’re constantly spouting. Always the light saves the day, that good will always prevail. Well guess what? There needs to be balance. Good and light can’t always win, you cannot always come out on top with the light to negate the shadows.’

Lunging again at Roman, he brought his daggers up in time to stop Roman’s downward slash. Grinning as soon as the ringing of the sword and the daggers started echoing, he twisted and kicked, dragging the sword out of Roman’s hand, throwing it so it landed blade down in front of the Dragon Witch.

“Now this is very interesting. Roman, you inability to actually try to hurt your friend is going to be your undoing. You’re now weaponless. My, oh my… whatever shall you do?”

Roman gritted his teeth as the Dragon With spoke from where she had moved back to let them fight, a glint of humor in her eyes. He could only imagine her plan, and he didn’t think it actually involved her fulfilling her word to Virgil. Opening his mouth to curse her out, he stopped when an explosion rang through the trees. Fighting stopped as whatever it was came closer and everyone looked through the hedges, clods of earth lying through the air. Finally, the last wall exploded and arms were raised to shield their faces. Soft plops were heard as the dirt fell to the ground and settled, a stinging went across Roman’s face as a small thorn cut him when it flew through the air. Looking up, he could see the same with Virgil, a few scratches across the unprotected parts of his arms.

As the last of the shrubbery and dirt settled on the ground, the haze settling down. Two figures appeared in the newly created hole in the protections, a valley of destruction behind them. 

“Roman! So help me, if you ever lock us out of your realm when we’re trying to help you, I’ll make sure your worst nightmare becomes the best fantasy you ever had.”

“Hey Kiddo, we’re here to help. Now. Let’s get this taken care of and get back to the mindspace and I’ll fix your favorite meal; doesn’t that sound nice?”

“Logan! Patton! What the hell? You two can’t be here.”

“We are Roman, no thanks to you. Now, what the hell is going on”

Just standing back and just watching the three of them, watched as Logan scolded Roman, Virgil’s face twitched in slightly recognition as he heard the others voices, trying not to laugh at how the Prince was getting scolded. He shifted to stand straight, almost bored now. Faking a yawn, he gave them all a deadpan look and rolled his eyes.

“Can’t even fight me yourself. Such a disgrace for a Prince. Having to rely on commoners to protect you. Can’t have that, now can we?”

With a wave of her hand, the ground started to bubble. Slowing rising from the earth were dark creatures with fearsome weapons and red eyes that seemed to pierce the soul. The Dragon Witch cackled with delight before vanishing, her voice trailing behind one final order. 

“Take care of the two intruders, my pets. Prince Roman has to face his friend alone.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings... character injuries, unknown fate of character, blacking out. Stay safe my friends. Next chapter shall be the last in this book!

Roman could only stare at the spot where the Dragon Witch once stood, near disbelief at how things had turned out. This wasn't how things were supposed to happen; this train wreck of a situation wasn't how any tale was supposed to go. He needed a way to get through to Virgil, to bring him out of whatever spell he was under; he also needed to find a way to protect his friends that had found their way to him and apparently blown up part of the hedge that protected this place. 

A nearby explosion rocked him, startling him out of his thoughts as his head whipped around, starting at Logan and Patton. Chunks of dirt were around Logan in a semicircle, arching over him as if gravity had decided to reverse in his presence. Beside him was Patton, two creatures that looked like dogs stood guard on either side of him, their faces too long to belong to dogs, the bodies almost too narrow. Swallowing, he looked at where there had been a band of creatures, but now saw only whisps of smoke. In this pause, the world went silent for a moment, frozen in place. He could almost see the anger burning in Logan's eyes, fire enough to set the whole world aflame. A dark smile on the visage of his normally passive friend, the one that he called Padre... it looked so out of place on Patton that Roman could almost think that this whole thing was a nightmare. He realized he was lost. There was nothing for him to follow, no trails in the tales that told him how he should proceed, no hints to show how to turn this into a happy ending. And no sign of a Godmother to twist the magic to make it bend into shape. 

"Roman, snap out of it. Patton and I can handle these creatures. You need to break whatever is going on with Virgil; you're the only one with the power to do so."

Startled as he looked at Logan, a realization came over him. There was no Godmother to bend the magic, there was no tale to follow, not in this situation. The Dragon Witch had went past the tales and into the unknown. So he needed to too. This was reality and Roman needed to be his own savior and that of Virgil's. He was the Godmother; he could twist the power to his will, to forge new ways the magic needed to tread. Eyes meeting, a flash of understanding and determination passed between them. They would both do whatever needed to be done to rescue Virgil, and the consequences would be dealt with later. 

“Alright Logan, you and Patton take care of the creatures.”

Looking back once more between the two of them, a small smile crossed his face as Patton was twirling a scythe above his head before attacking two of the shadow demons while the creatures attacked more. Taking one last moment to be impressed at the agile and swiftness Patton showed, the way the scythe seemed to cut the air, a deadly dance in front of his eyes. 

“Earth to Roman, are you done admiring those two or shall I give you another few minutes to collect yourself before I thrash your hide and use your pretty red sash as a trophy as the Great Princes’ defeat?”

Readying his stance again, Roman nodded as his focused narrowed to Virgil and Virgil alone. He wouldn’t allow himself to get distracted by the others, they could handle their own. With a smirk gracing his lips, he lunged, swinging around as Virgil ducked, sword flying to where the darker aspect had moved to. Hearing a curse as those daggers barely stopped his sword before the hit, he pulled away swiftly before attacking again, determined to force the matter, never letting Virgil get the offensive. 

The ring of steal on steal echoed around the grove as Roman drove Vigil back again and again. Pulling away, panting, he eyed Virgil just as he was eyed in return. Both their breathing was in short breaths, a stitch was in Roman’s side and he knew he needed to end this soon. They were locked in a stalemate currently. Even if Roman defeated Virgil, unarmed him and captured him, what good would it do? He needed to find a way to break the spell and fast, before he was lost to the Dragon Witch forever. His mind ran through fairy tale after fairy tale, story after story, each coming up blank, and nothing showing how to save Virgil.   
Ducking a blast of shadows that flew over his head, shadows played within the shadows, some darker than the rest. It almost reminded him of.. That was it. It looked like the pool of the dead in Hercules… the shadows upon shadows looked like the lost souls… what Virgil would be if he didn’t think of something fast… But… to save the one that was lost, Herc had to jump into the pool to save Meg. In order to save Virgil, to draw him out of the spell by tooth and claw,, he had to jump in with both feet and physically drag him out if need be.

Standing up again, he waved away his armor, leaving him back in the Princely clothes of before. This time, he had daggers. Seeing a flicker of something in those dark eyes, Roman knew he had made the right choice. Launching into another attack, he focused, following the motions, trying to get into Virgil’s guard. Spotting just the right moment, he lifted his sword, as if preparing to slash.

“Roman!”

Gasping as the pain seared his side, he looked up to see a look of shock on Virgil’s face. Feeling himself starting to fall, arms wrapped around him as was held closer to Virgil, his eyes slowly returning to normal. He knew that it was Patton that had yelled his name earlier. Looking over at the two of his other friends, he saw them drop their weapons as the landscape started to take on a gray tinge. 

“Roman, you absolute idiot. What the hell did you just do?”

“Logan, help me, he’s bleeding, oh my god, what did I just do…. No, no, please no, this can’t be…”

And with those last words echoing in his ears, the whole world went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this cliffhanger, the next chapter is in progress and hopefully be done in the next few days.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to TSPrincxietyTrash for being my last minute beta on this, for helping me with ideas when I was drawing a blank. And just for being and amazing friend! Go check out their stuff, its amazing! Thank you all for sticking with me through this adventure, and hopefully this won't be the last addition to the Trials of the Dragon witch Saga!

Roman felt like he was floating, a weightless sensation over him. He had never fully experienced this before, and wasn’t sure if he ever wanted to again. It was dark, oh so dark. Nary could a pinprick of light be detected. There was no pain, there was nothing to give him a hint to the time nor where he was. 

“Roman, please! Damnit, don’t to this to me”

Or hardly anything. A voice was cutting through the darkness, one that sounded hoarse, like someone had been crying. It was the first sound he had heard in quite some time. Actually, he couldn’t remember what had been going on before he was floating in the darkness.

“Virgil, he’s alive, but that was a serious wound. While we have it wrapped and it’s on its way to healing, we need to give Roman some time to return to consciousness.”

Ah, so he had been wounded, and the near broken voice had been Virgil. Nodding to himself, Roman was trying to put clues together again. If that was Virgil before, who had just spoke? A name floated into his mind before he could even finish the sentence.

Logan.

Ah, so that was Logan who was speaking. But there should have been a third, shouldn’t there?

“He’ll wake up soon Virgil, no worries. He needed all the energy he could to repair the wound. Just give him a bit of time and you’ll see, he’ll be welding his sword again before you know it.”

And there is was, just as predicted. This was Patton. A warmth overcame Roman’s chest and he felt something odd. Before he could question it, a searing pain started in his side and he felt heavy again. Oh, he was unconscious before and now he was starting to wake up, that made sense. Breathing slowly to keep from showing that he was hearing what was being said, he knew he couldn’t quite open his eyes yet. He didn’t feel like talking and he wanted it to seem like he was in a true sleep. 

“Guys what if it’s the last of the dark magic that’s keeping him asleep? I need to do something to bring him out of it. I can’t just leave him unconscious if we can help it.”

“Well then, how do you bring someone out of an ensorcelled sleep?” 

“Oh Logan, I know! You give them a kiss!”

Roman could only wait as it went silent. He didn’t feel spelled, he just felt tired. Recovering was an exhausting job .But the thought of getting that kiss he had been teasing Virgil about was just too good of a chance to pass up. So he stayed still and quiet and breathing evenly.

“Alright, I’ll do it. He’s done so much for me… the idiot.”

Waiting as he felt Virgil kneel down beside him, he kept his breathing nice and easy, still as could be.

“Uh, Virgil… I think they’re something you need to know before you-“

“Tell me in a minute Logan, I need to bring Roman out of this.”

Hearing a sigh from the Logical side, Roman waited, trying hard not to hold his breath. A hand cupped his face and moved it to face the side. Slowly he felt lips on his own, soft and gentle, and that’s when he acted. Wrapping an arm around Virgil, he kissed him back. Laughing as Virgil pulled away, Roman cracked open and eye only to duck and roll as a pillow came straight for where his head had been. Carefully looking over the side of the bed from where he rolled off of it, opposite of his friends, he smiled at them. He saw the Patton’s wide smile, and Logan’s soft grin. And Virgil’s face... well, it went from confusion to happiness to finally it settled on anger. 

“I’ll give you five seconds Roman, you better run.”

Letting loose a sound which might be considered an eep, Roman ran, only to be chased with a pillow by the darker side.

“Well Logan, It looks like it’s finally getting back to normal around here isn’t it?”

“That it is Patton; that it is.”

=====  
Lain out in the middle of the clearing a day or so later was Virgil, a white magic circle shining under him. Arms above him, a circlet of earth holding them in place. His ankles getting the same treatment, holding him in place so he couldn’t escape. Looking to either side of the circle, Logan and Patton stood, determined. Looking up to right beside him, Roman stood, outfit different from before. He was in a simple white robe with what looked like black fire crawling up the sides, he knew it was just the pattern on it. Though he was slightly confused to where the trademark red was. 

“Virgil, I can’t guarantee that this won’t hurt. In fact, I’m pretty sure it will at first, given how deep it's dug its way into you. I’m sorry in advance.”

“Just get on with it Roman. I need this… whatever this is.. Out of me. I can’t risk hurting you all, and damned if I’m going to join the witch’s side. Finish this and then we can go back home and Patton can make hot chocolate and we can watch a movie or something.”

“Watch your language kiddo”

“Sorry Patton.”

Looking over at his friends once more, Roman could only nod as he kneeled down next to him and laid his hands over Virgil's chest, not touching the skin, an inch or two of space remaining.

“Brace yourself.”

Bracing himself indeed, Virgil closed his eyes, though it didn’t stop him from seeing something bright from behind his eyelids. At first it was warm; like on a summers day at the beach. But soon enough, the warmth turned to heat and he could almost feel something trying to crawl along his skin, hooks in place to keep it from being washed away with the unyielding light. Whimpering in pain, it soon turned to screams and all sense of what was going on was lost to Virgil.

It was a bit later when Virgil blinked open his eyes that he realized he was back in the living room. Around him he could hear voices, soft, but they were there. At first he couldn’t make out what was being said, but he could decipher the whispers.

“Is he really going to be alright Logan? His body was thrashing so much. I just want our Virgil back.” 

“He’ll be fine Patton, Roman has already assured us that he’ll be fine. He was thrashing, but he kept breathing. And that blackness that came out fell to dust as soon as it hit the circle, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Even in the state he was in, Virgil could tell that Logan was worried, no matter the words that he spoke indicated otherwise. Deciding that he should let the others know that he was alright, he sighed as he moved to push himself up.. .only to blink when his limbs didn’t respond to him. Oh they tried, but he felt too weak to actually move much more than to adjust his position.

“Hey guys, can someone help me sit up, I’d like to look at whoever’s talking about me.”

Hearing a near shriek, Virgil found himself with an armful of Patton, somehow managing to get his arm around him. Blinking as he was moved to lean against the father figure, he smiled at him before looking around.

“Where’s the royal pain? I thought he would have been here for this?”

“He is, that ritual took a lot out of him. He tried so hard to stay awake until you woke up.”

Following the turn of Logan’s head, Virgil saw Roman, curled up in an armchair close by. Smiling softly at the sleeping side in front of him, he carefully took a pillow and moved to toss it the small distance between the couch and the chair.. Snickering as it landed on Roman’s chest, he smiled as he started to move, making, small sounds of confusion. Smiling at Roman as his eyes opened, he laughed as Roman fell out of the chair trying to get out to quickly.

“Virgil!”

He was surprised when Roman slowly approached and moved to carefully hug him, almost as if one firm hug would shatter him. And who knew, perhaps that was what Roman was thinking. Hugging Roman back, he pulled him in firmly and sighed in relief. He didn’t care when he felt Patton get off the couch or heard him and Logan leaving, all he cared about was that Roman was alright, that he was alright, and that the family was safe.

“Virgil, I’m so sorry. I know it had to be done, but I’m still sorry. I never wanted to hurt you”

“I’m the one that should be apologizing Roman. If I would have told you in the beginning, to have came clean when I started hearing the voice of the shadows trying to take over me, we could have avoided all of this.”

Feeling Roman pull back a bit, he shook his head and laughed a bit before pulling him back into a tighter hug.

“It’s both our faults, I should have been paying closer attention. Here, let me get you something to drink and something light to snack on, I know that took a lot out of you like it did me.”

Watching Roman get up and move to the kitchen, Virgil couldn’t help but smile. He didn’t know if things were back to normal for now or not, but as long as he had his family there with him, he knew that they could overcome anything that came their way.. And for Roman… well, perhaps they could work on training more together and spend more time learning about each other, opening up to each other. After all, he knew there were still some secrets between the two of them that still had to be shared.

“Hey Roman, how about a movie when you get back in? Perhaps Nightmare before Christmas?”


End file.
